6:00 p.m. A Legacy Lost & Found: Segregation in Recreation
This short documentary highlights the history of the Cherokee State Resort Park in Marshall County, once Kentucky’s only state park for Black people during the Jim Crow law era. The documentary, directed by Dr. Tammy Holmes, looks at the history of Cherokee State Park and features testimonies from visitors of the park when it was opened many years ago.
A short panel discussion will include Dr. Nancy Dawson, Executive Producer, Marcus Sweeney, Community Activist, Gerry James, Recreation Expert and Founder of Explore Kentucky, Dr. DeBora Mapp, Educational Consultant, and Dr. Tammy Holmes, Director of Legacy Lost and Found.
7:30 p.m. A Bluesy Walk Down Old Walnut Street
Blues singers Big Poppa Stampley and the fabulous Marjorie Marshall will take us down memory lane on Old Walnut Street in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Jim Crow period that legalized racial segregation in the south – in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s – Walnut Street was once a vibrant and thriving part of Louisville.
Walnut street was laced with thriving businesses, professional offices, restaurants, and nightclubs, leaving its mark on the hearts of locals and visitors alike. This 7-block stretch was referred to as “The Harlem of the South.” Walnut Street, now Muhammad Ali Blvd., was the epicenter for black entrepreneurs and was a magnet that attracted big-name jazz and blues entertainers.
9:00 p.m. Songbird of the South: The Real Mary Ann Fisher Story – Featuring Marjorie Marshall
The Heritage Center salutes Mary Ann Fisher Day 2023 with a performance telling a story chronicling Fisher’s life from her tragic and traumatic childhood in Henderson, Kentucky. But Fisher endures her early life challenges when her destiny begins to change in 1941 when she wins a talent contest singing at the Lyric Theatre on Walnut Street in Louisville.
Winning the contest earned her the name Songbird of the South. She becomes a popular local talent and ascends to be one of the first talented singers whose life and art became professionally and personally intertwined with the legendary Ray Charles.
Kentucky Center for African American Heritage
In Partnership with
Kentucky Music Heritage Foundation, &
The Friends of Cherokee State Historic Park
presents
A Night of Film and Music
(Doors Open at 5:30 p.m.)
6:00 p.m. A Legacy Lost & Found: Segregation in Recreation
This short documentary highlights the history of the Cherokee State Resort Park in Marshall County, once Kentucky’s only state park for Black people during the Jim Crow law era. The documentary, directed by Dr. Tammy Holmes, looks at the history of Cherokee State Park and features testimonies from visitors of the park when it was opened many years ago.
A short panel discussion will include Dr. Nancy Dawson, Executive Producer, Marcus Sweeney, Community Activist, Gerry James, Recreation Expert and Founder of Explore Kentucky, Dr. DeBora Mapp, Educational Consultant, and Dr. Tammy Holmes, Director of Legacy Lost and Found.
7:30 p.m. A Bluesy Walk Down Old Walnut Street
Blues singers Big Poppa Stampley and the fabulous Marjorie Marshall will take us down memory lane on Old Walnut Street in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Jim Crow period that legalized racial segregation in the south – in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s – Walnut Street was once a vibrant and thriving part of Louisville.
Walnut street was laced with thriving businesses, professional offices, restaurants, and nightclubs, leaving its mark on the hearts of locals and visitors alike. This 7-block stretch was referred to as “The Harlem of the South.” Walnut Street, now Muhammad Ali Blvd., was the epicenter for black entrepreneurs and was a magnet that attracted big-name jazz and blues entertainers.
9:00 p.m. Songbird of the South: The Real Mary Ann Fisher Story – Featuring Marjorie Marshall
The Heritage Center salutes Mary Ann Fisher Day 2023 with a performance telling a story chronicling Fisher’s life from her tragic and traumatic childhood in Henderson, Kentucky. But Fisher endures her early life challenges when her destiny begins to change in 1941 when she wins a talent contest singing at the Lyric Theatre on Walnut Street in Louisville.
Winning the contest earned her the name Songbird of the South. She becomes a popular local talent and ascends to be one of the first talented singers whose life and art became professionally and personally intertwined with the legendary Ray Charles.
Details
Organizer
Venue
Louisville, Kentucky 40203 + Google Map